40-5103. Definitions. As used in this act:

(a) "Adverse action" means any of the following in connection with the underwriting of personal insurance:

(1) A denial or cancellation of coverage; or

(2) a reduction or other adverse or unfavorable change in the terms of coverage of any insurance regardless of whether such insurance is in existence or has been applied for.

(b) "Affiliate" means any company that controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with another company.

(c) "Agent" shall have the meaning ascribed to it in subsection (k) of K.S.A. 40-4902, and amendments thereto, unless the context requires otherwise.

(d) "Applicant" means an individual who has applied to an insurer to be covered by a personal insurance policy.

(e) "Commissioner" means the commissioner of insurance and any authorized designee of the commissioner.

(f) "Consumer" means an insured whose credit information is used or whose insurance score is calculated in the underwriting or rating of a personal insurance policy. "Consumer" also includes an applicant for a personal insurance policy.

(g) "Consumer reporting agency" means any person which, for monetary fees, dues, or on a cooperative nonprofit basis, regularly engages, in whole or in part, in the practice of assembling or evaluating consumer credit information or other information on consumers for the purpose of furnishing consumer reports to third parties.

(h) "Credit information" means any credit related information derived from a credit report, found on a credit report itself, or provided on an application for personal insurance. Credit information shall not include any information which is not credit related, regardless of whether such information is contained in a credit report or in an application or is used to calculate an insurance score.

(i) "Credit report" means any written, oral, or other communication of information by a consumer reporting agency bearing on a consumer's credit worthiness, credit standing or credit capacity which is used or expected to be used or collected in whole or in part for the purpose of serving as a factor to determine personal insurance premiums, eligibility for coverage, or tier placement.

(j) "Department" means the insurance department established by K.S.A. 40-102, and amendments thereto.

(k) "Insurance score" means a number or rating that is derived from an algorithm, computer application, model, or other process that is based, in whole or in part, on credit information for the purposes of predicting the future insurance loss exposure of an individual applicant or insured.

(l) "Personal insurance" means private passenger automobile, homeowners, motorcycle, mobile homeowners and non-commercial dwelling fire insurance policies and boat, personal water craft, snowmobile and recreational vehicle policies. For the strict purposes of this act, personal insurance shall also include individually underwritten policies of farmowners.

History: L. 2003, ch. 88, § 4; L. 2010, ch. 108, § 6; July 1.